Red telephone box tops national poll of greatest all time British designs

Red telephone boxes top Great British Design list

Published:06:00Tuesday 17 March 2015

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The classic red phone box (K series), Routemaster double-decker bus and Union Jack have been voted as the greatest British designs of all time, according to a new study released today.

Design expert Professor Catherine McDermott, Director of Curating Contemporary Design at London’s Kingston University, was specially commissioned by Samsung to conduct the study to celebrate the launch of the Galaxy S6. Professor McDermott led a panel of judges to create a longlist of great British designs, which was then put to a national poll.

The study surveyed 2,000 Brits to reveal the top 25 greatest British designs of all time with the red phone box beating out other British icons like the Spitfire, the London Taxi and London Underground map.

Top 25 Greatest British Designs

1 Red Phone Box (K Series) – 39%

2 Routemaster Double Decker Bus – 28%

3 Union Jack – 24%

4 Spitfire – 23%

5 Rolls Royce – 22%

6 London Taxi – 21%

7 Tube Map – 21%

8 Mini Cooper – 20%

9 Concorde – 20%

10 Red Pillar Box – 17%

11 Jaguar E-Type – 16%

12 Aston Martin DB5 – 12%

13 Miniskirt – 11%

14 London Eye – 11%

15 Double Helix DNA structure – 10%

16 Wembley Stadium – 9%

17 First Class Postage Stamp – 8%

18 Dr Martens – 6%

19 Angel of the North – 5%

20 Wellington Boots – 5%

21 London 2012 Olympic Torch – 5%

22 Tartan Print - 5%

23 Burberry Trench Coat – 4%

24 Saville Row Suit – 4%

25 Fred Perry Polo Shirt – 3%

The phone box’s distinctive red colour and classic design has made it a regular feature in town and cities nationwide and staple photo opportunity for all tourists. Also charting high list are numerous representatives from the transport industry such as the Rolls Royce and Concorde, along with classic quintessentially English designs such as the red pillar box and Union Jack.

A resounding 69% of those polled said that designs like the Spitfire, London Eye and Wembley stadium made them proud to be British.

Three in four participants (73%) of said that home-grown creations like the Raleigh Chopper, Concorde and Dr Martens boots made them feel nostalgic. The survey also found out that a massive 77% of Brits polled felt that we as a nation are still producing great home-grown British designs. The list features many historic creations such as the Union Jack flag and the Saville Row suit, along with more recent designs such as the London Olympic Torch.

Conor Pierce, Vice President of IT & Mobile Samsung UK and Ireland, said: “Great design is the marriage of form and function, creating something that is both stylish and useful. It’s fascinating to see how the combination of curves and straight edges give designs a timeless, classic feel – in fact none of the designs in our list have aged at all. We have taken inspiration from these designs for the new Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge; harmonising style and practicality in one single device.”

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